Madison County was created in February 1865.
It occupies a portion of southwestern Montana.
Surrounded and divided by mountain ranges,
Madison County is composed of two parallel
valleys--the Madison and the Ruby. Portions of
the Beaverhead National Forest lie within the
county's boundaries. Flowing from south to
north is the Madison River in the eastern part
of the county, and the Ruby River joins the
Beaverhead River near Twin Bridges which then
joins the Jefferson River and continues out of
the county. The Ruby River Reservoir is
located on the Ruby River near Alder Montana.

Crops - 2002

Acres
Planted

Acres
Harvested

Yield

Unit

Production

Rank

Winter Wheat
Durum Wheat
Other Spring Wheat

2,300
*
5,300

2,300
*
4,900

30
*
40

Bu.
Bu.
Bu.

68,000
*
197,000

33
*
33

Barley

7,600

3,000

59

Bu.

177,000

31

Oats

2,700

700

79

Bu.

55,000

19

Corn
For Grain
For Silage

*
----
----

----
*
*

----
*
*

----
Bu.
Tons

----
*
*

----
*
*

Potatoes

*

*

*

Cwt.

*

*

Sugar Beets

*

*

*

Tons

*

*

Dry Beans 1/

*

*

*

Cwt.

*

*

All Hay
Alfalfa
All Other

----
----
----

72,500
46,500
26,000

2.71
3.0
2.1

Tons
Tons
Tons

196,800
141,500
55,300

3
3
8

1/ Yield is in pounds, production is in hundredweight. *Either zero or insufficient data for publication.

Livestock

Reference Date

Number of Head

Rank

All Cattle & Calves
Beef Cows & Heifers 2/
Milk Cows & Heifers 2/

January 1, 2003

73,000
45,000
*

8
8
*

All Sheep & Lambs

January 1, 2003

6,300

15

Hogs & Pigs

December 1, 2002

*

*

2/ That have calved. * Insufficient data for publication

Census of Agriculture - 2002

-

Number of Farms
Land in Farms (Acres)
Average Farm Size (Acres)
Total Land Area (Acres)